Ceramic Window Tinting Alabama

On Kepler's range they describe the same films from different angles. Ceramic is what the film is made from: microscopic ceramic particles rather than dye or metal. IR is what it targets, the infrared part of sunlight that carries heat through glass. Kepler IR and Kepler IR+ are both nano-ceramic automotive films, which is why the two words turn up together. Other brands use the terms more loosely, so compare the published specification rather than the name.

Kepler publishes up to 81% infrared rejection for Kepler IR and up to 98% for IR+ across its four darker shades, with the lighter Photon shade at 93%. Both ranges are published at over 99% UV protection. Infrared is one band of sunlight rather than all of it, so look at the total solar energy rejection figure for your shade as well: those run from 51% to 66% in Kepler IR and 51% to 72% in IR+.

A dyed film mainly darkens the glass. In a ceramic film the heat work happens in the ceramic layer, so it does not depend on how dark the film looks: the lightest Kepler shade still lists UV transmittance under 1% and carries an infrared figure of its own. That is why a nearly clear ceramic film is worth fitting at all, which is not something you can say of a basic tint.

It depends on the car, how many windows you are having done, and which range and shade you choose. Our pricing guides page sets out the two things that move the figure most, the grade of film and the experience of the installer, with a realistic range for the US market. The price you pay is set by the independent business fitting the film, and the enquiry form on this page is how you ask for it.

Kepler asks that the windows stay closed for one week after installation and says to allow up to four weeks for curing to finish. Water pockets in the first few days are part of that drying process, so leave them to evaporate rather than pressing them out. For cleaning, Kepler's care terms specify a clean microfiber cloth. If you are still choosing a shade rather than looking after one, our window tint laws page covers what Alabama allows.

There is more on this in our guide to window film care.

A heat lamp and a thermometer at home will not give you a reliable answer, because the result depends on the lamp, the distance, the glass and the temperature of the room, none of which are controlled. The more useful comparison is Kepler's published specification for the shade you have: infrared rejection, UV transmittance and total solar energy rejected are listed film by film, so you can see what your shade is rated for and how it sits against the one above or below it.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency sets one figure for passenger cars: side and rear windows must let at least 32% of light through, with a 3% tolerance. Only the upper six inches of the windshield may be tinted, and that material must be transparent. Reflective material may not reflect more than 20% of light. The detail is on our Alabama window tint laws page, including the compliance label a tinting dealer has to affix, the medical exemption ALEA issues on a physician's certification, and the separate treatment of multipurpose and recreational vehicles, where darker tinting behind the driver is permitted as the vehicle manufacturer allows under federal law, with outside rearview mirrors required on both sides.

Factory-tinted glass is the common exception: ALEA's page does not say how a film measures once it is added to glass that is already tinted. If that applies to your car, ask ALEA or the business fitting the film before you choose a shade.

They are three different constructions. A dyed film puts colour into the film and darkens the glass. A metallised film handles heat by reflecting it, and Kepler points to the mirror-like look and signal issues that come with metalized tint. Kepler's own ranges work through ceramic particles instead, which is why a lighter shade can still carry real infrared and UV figures. Between the two Kepler ranges the difference is infrared rejection: up to 81% for IR and up to 98% for IR+ on its darker shades.

Because it separates two things that used to come as a pair. With a dyed film, more heat rejection meant a darker car. With ceramic, the heat work sits in a layer that does not depend on how dark the film looks, so the glass can stay close to standard and still hold back infrared and UV. In Alabama, where side and rear glass on a passenger car has to let at least 32% of light through, that is the difference between choosing the shade you want and choosing the darkest one allowed.

Send an enquiry through the form with your vehicle and the shade you are considering. Kepler passes it to the closest dealer, and that business takes it from there, talking through the film, quoting and arranging a time with you directly.